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The movie portrays an attempt in 1936 to summit the Eiger via the north face by two competing climbing teams. The more prominently featured pair of German climbers are Toni Kurz (Fürmann) and Andi Hinterstoisser (Lukas) from Berchtesgaden. After being refused leave from the German army (falsely claiming one of them is getting married and the other is to be Best Man), they quit their service in order to make the attempt. They are portrayed as being more interested in mountaineering than in the current politics of the time. The competing team of Austrians that eventually teams up with the German team are portrayed as hoping for a Nazi-led incorporation of Austria into Germany. Watching their summit attempt is their childhood friend Luise (Wokalek), now working for a German newspaper, who is accompanied by her cynical superior Mr. Arau (Tukur).

After a successful theatrical run in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, the film was released in several non-German speaking countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan from 2009-2010, receiving favorable reviews throughout.[4]

The route of the historical team is essentially as portrayed in the film.

The rope that Hinterstoisser placed on the Hinterstoisser Traverse, and was used by the others to cross, was removed before the last team member continued upward.

When recovered, the corpse of one of the Austrian climbers showed he had been bandaged for a head wound.

During the descent Andi did attempt to cross the area known as Hinterstoisser Traverse using the pendulum traverse, as he had the ascent, and gave up when he realised his efforts were futile. (Even though the scene in the movie is short, Andi tried for hours but to no avail)

A rope supporting two climbers was cut

to move forward with the attempt at rescue (rather than in crisis of the next seconds or few minutes),

below the climber doing the cutting (rather by one of climbers dropping as a result),

on instructions from the rescuers, and

after the two appeared beyond communicating or helping in their own rescue.